Liquid-flow regulator



Cct. 9, 1928.

I NVEN TOR.

7mm: M REM ATTORNEY.

.the liquid. Wfith these as well Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

PHELPs M. FRERE; or Dn'rnorr, MICHIGAN.

mourn-FLOW REGLATOR.

Application led November 15, 1986. `Srelial No. 148;-586. i

kThe invention relates to liquid flow regulaters and refers more particularly to regulators for controlling the lflow of oil which may be used lin connection with apparatus for lubricating variousparts -or apparatus for purifying used lubricating oil such as recti- 'fiers or the. like. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a regulator with means for automatically freeing a. restricted passageway` of sediment.. Another object is to provide a regulator the parts of vwhich may be cheaply and economically manufactured and may cooperate to form a restricted passageway upon flow of theliquid in one direction and to allow return of the liquid upon stopping of the propellinglmeans for as ,other objects `in view, the invention resides inthe novel features of construction and combina:- tions *and arrangements of parts as'more fully hereinafter set forth. e In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view through a p01'- tion of an apparatus embodying my'invem tion; n y

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line Q'f-Q of Figure 1; y Y

Figure 3 is across section on the line 3.-,-3 of Figure 2; f l

Figure 4: is a viewsimilar to-Figure 1, showing a modified construction-g I Y.

Figures 5 and 6 are planviews of the ads jacent ends of the cooperating` members of the regulator; i Y Figure 7 is a plan view of the regulator valve;

Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figure V1 and showing other modified construc-l tions.y

Theliquid flow regulator,as shownin the present instance, is designed to regulate thev flow ef lubricating oil and furthermore is specifically shown as applied to an apparatus for purify'ing` used lubricating oil. Asshown in Figures 1, 2' and 3, 1i's the apparatus for vpurifying vused,lubricating oil having the oil receiving'y chamber 2 and the oil inlet 3. The oil flow regulator ,is designed to control the flow of oil passing through lthis `inlet and comprises. the Yupper and'lower coopera-ting members t and 5, respectively, with the upper end of the latter threaded into the enlarged the valve ym its internally threaded flange? at the lower end of the former. These members respectively have the oil passageways 6, and 7 ytherethrough withthe oil`r passageway 7 yin axial alignment with a. portion of the oil passage# way`6. The portion of thermember Lfisurrounding the lower end' of the oil passage-V way.V 64 1s formed-with thev annular seat 8 whichisspaeed from the annular seat 9- at. 'the upper end of the member 5 -this 'latter sea-t surrounding the upper end'ofthe oil Vpassageway 7 which ,is of greater 'dia-meter than the lower end of theoill passageway 6. 10y isa valve inthe nature of adisc located between th'efannular seats 8 and-9 and having a certain amount ofv vertical movement relative thereto. This valve has the diametrical channel llf-in its upperfacev of a lengthy at least equalto and preferably reater than the diameter of the lower end o the oil pas.-v sageway 6.. This valve also has the transverse slots 12 therethrough and at the. end of the channel, the arrangement being such that when the valve `is in its uppermost position and seated against the annular Vseat 8 oil may flow-upwardly through thevoil lpassageway 7, .the slots 1-2v in the valve,the diametrical channel 11y in thevalve and the oil passageway 6 to the oill inlet 3.,l vAlso when the valve isin ,its lowermost position and seated upon the annular seatm9 anyl oil Vin theoil passageway 6 may return by Y{iowing over the upper surface ofthe valve through` the slots 12 in .the valve and into the oilpassageway 7. Inoperation andl with lowermost position and seated upon the vannular seat 9, when oil isforced through theoil passageway 7 it temporarily Hows through the, slots 12j in the valve and Y over the upper face of the valve freei-ngthe channel 11 1n theupper face yof, the valve of sedimentyas well asfreeing the annular seat 8 of sediment. Then thev valve is carried upwardly into engagememtwith "the annular seat k8 and the oil flow ies-restricted by reason of the oil passingH through the channel 11 in the valve to the voil passageway Upon' stopping the mechanism propelling the eil,`

the valve lowers and permits oil in .the upper member to return through the Aslots 12 in the valve to the'oilpassageway inthe lower lmechanlsm. f

For the purpose of permitting assembling the valve between the cooperating members with either side uppermost, both sides et the valve are made alike, that is both sides of the valve have diainetrical channels therein.

In the modifi-cation shown in Figures 4 t0 7, inclusive, the oilflow regulator is toi-ined oi cooperating upper and lower members 13 and 14, respectively, having oil passageways 15 and 16, respectively, therethrough with the upper end ot the passageway 16 ot greater diameter than the lower end of the passageway 15. The portion orn the upper member 13 surrounds the lower end of the passageway 15 is formed in the nature ol an annular seat 17 having radial channels 18 formed in its face, while the annular seat 19 formed at the upper end of the lower member has the raeial channels 2O formed therein. The valve 21 is inthe nature of a disc and has serrations .22 formed in its periphery, the arrangement being such that when oil is forced -upwardly.through the oil passageway 16 in the lower member 14, this oil initially passes radially out through the channels 2O and thence upwardly through the recesses formed by the serrations 22 and over the upper tace of the valve 21 and through the i'nassageway 150i the upper member 13, and in doing so frees the channels in both the upper and lower members of sediment. The valve is then raised to seat upon. the annular seat 17 of the upper member, after which the flow of oil to the passageway in the vupper member is limited to that amount iiowing through the channels l18 in the annular seat 17. Upon stopping of the mechanism propelling` the oil throughthe regulator the valve will lower and oil may return through the valve to the passageway in the lower' member and in doing so also assists in freeing the restricted portions oif the passageway of sediment.

--Inthe modiiication shown in Figure 8, the oil flow regulator is made up in the same manner as that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 or Figures 4, 5, G and 7,*butthe valve 23 is therinostatic so that it may occupy the position shown in full lines in Figure 8, at which time the length of the restricted passageways formed by the channels in either the upper y face ol" the valve or the channels in the annular seat el the upper member of the device are the minimum. The valve is so constructed that upon increase et temperature ot the oi]- flowing through the regulator the valve will flex from the position shown in the drawing to assume a straight line position thereby increasing the length of the restricted kpassageways and in doingso increase the resistance to the flow of oil through the regulator. The sediment collecting in the restricted passageways is removed in the manner set forth in connection with the preceding described forms of the invention.v

'Figure 9 shows another mediiication in which the parts of the regulator may be made in accordance with those shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7. In this regulator a coil spring 24 is. added to positively return tlie valve to seat upon the annular seat 25 ofthe member 26 oi the regulator having an oil passageway 27 with its end ot a greater diameter than the adjacent end ot 'the oil passageway in the other member of the regulator. This spring abuts the valve 28 and the transverse pin 29 extending 'through the other member oi the regulator. 1V ith this arrangement it `will be seen that oil upon being propelled through the regulator must operate to compress the spring in forcing the valve to its proper operative position. The advantage of this construction over those ypreviously described is'that either member of the regulator maybe placed Yuppermost inasmuch as gravity is not relied upon for returning the valve to its initial position. I

From the above description it is readily seen that IV have provided a construction oi' liquid flow regulator and more specically an oil flow regulator having provision for a restricted passageway and having provision f for automatically freeing this restricted pasv sageway of sediment.

What I claim as my invention is 1 1. In a liquid flow regulator, the combination with a member having a passageway for the liquid, ofV means for controlling the flow of the liquid through' the passageway, iiicluding a movable disk adapted to occupy a position relative to the member to form therewithpa restricted passageway for the liquid partly on a t'ace of the disk and communicating with the iirst mentioned passageway, the disk also being adapted to occupy another position relative to the member to expose a side of the restricted passageway to the liquid to free the restricted passageway of sediment which might collect therein.

2. In a liquid flow regulator, th-e combination with a member having a passageway for the liquid and a seat encircling the passageway, of a movable disk having a channel in its face adapted to cooperate with the seat to form a restricted passageway for the liquid communicating with the tirst mentioned passageway, the disk being adapted to occupy a position spaced from the seat to expose a side of the channel to 'the liquid to free the'channel of sediment which might coll-ect therein.

3. In a regulator for controllin g the iiow of liquid, the combination with a member having a passageway for the liquid and a seatrencircling the, passageway, movable valve, adapted to cooperate with the seat to form a restricted passageway for the liquid partly on a face of the valve and communicating with the lirst mentioned passageway, the valve being adapted to occupy a position spaced tromthe seat. to expose a side of an` automaticallyA of the restricted passageway to the liquid to on a face of the valve and communicating withy 10 free the restricted passageway of sediment t-he first mentioned passageway, the valve bewhich might collect therein. ing axially movable relative to the Seat to eX- 4. In a regulator for controlling the flow of pose a side of the restricted passageway to the 5 oil, the Combination with a member having a oil, whereby the oil may free the restricted passageway for oil, and a seat encircling the passagewayof sediment which might collect 15 passageway, of an automatically operating' therein. Y. valve adapted to cooperate with the seat to In testimony. whereof I aiix my signature. form a restricted passageway for the oil partly PHELPS M. FREER. 

